Automatically playing musical instrument



f 7,1969 FOQQABURQ SPY-"INA I 3,470, 8

AUTOMATICALLY PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Dec. 21. 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

Oct. 7, 1969 FUKUSABURO SHIINA AUTOMATICALLY PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed 060. 21. 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5.

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INVENTOR FUKUSABURO SHIINA AUTOMATICALLY PLAYING MUSICAL ms'rnummw Oct. 7, 1969 5 Sheets-Sheet Z 'Filgd Dec. 21, 1966 FIG. 5a

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u n u AG EDCBAGFEDCBAGFEDC INVENTOR M/Mat Ml AUTOMATICALLY PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Dec. 21, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 PIC-3.6

INVENTOR 1969 FUKUSABURO SHIINA 470,7

AUTOMATICALLY PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed D60. 21, 1966' 5 Sheets-Shem 5 FIG. 8

BYMI MM UnitedStates Patent 3,470,784 AUTOMATICALLY PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Fukusaburo Shiina, 25, S-chome, Higashi Hisakata-cho, Kiryu-shi, Gunma-ken, Japan Filed Dec. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 603,660 Claims priority, application Japan, Dec. 25, 1965, 40/79,918; June 7, 1966, 41/36,746; June 24, 1966, 41/ 41,046

Int. Cl. G10f 1/06 US. Cl. 84-101 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sheet medium (e.g., a card or tape) having musical staff lines inscribed thereon and prepunched directly with perforations conforming to the notes of a desired melody is moved at steady speed between a row of numerous musically scaled sound bars and a row of corresponding plucking pins, each pin passing through each corresponding perforation to engage with its sound bar and being caused by the movement of the sheet to pluck the sound bar, whereby the melody is played.

This invention relates to automatically playing apparatuses capable of automatically and freely playing an unlimited number of melodies. More particularly, the invention concerns a method and apparatus for automatically playing a desired melody when a sheet recording medium having a five-lined staff inscribed thereon and perforations punched beforehand directly on the staff in conformance with the melody is inserted into and passed through the apparatus.

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatically playing apparatus which is capable of automatically and freely playing an unlimited variety of melodies and yet is of simple construction and operation and of low price.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above stated character which is capable of repeatedly playing any number of times a specific melody.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above stated character which can be operated by the use of a recording sheet medium on which any desired melody can be recorded by simple punching by unskilled persons.

According to the present invention, briefly stated, there is provided an automatically playing musical instrument which comprises a musical score sheet having musical staff lines inscribed thereon and prepunched directly with perforations conforming to the notes of a melody to be played, a body structure for guiding the score sheet through the instrument, a driving mechanism for causing the score sheet to move in one direction parallel to the staff lines at a steady speed, and a large number of sound producing means for producing respective tones of the scale represented by the staff lines and spaces and thus operating in response to the passage of the perforations as the score sheet is so moved.

The nature, principle, utility, and details of the invention will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals.

In the drawings:

FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 are diagrammatic side views partly in section, showing respectively different states of the relationship between a sound bar and a pin member of an 3,470,784 Patented Oct. 7, 1969 automatically playing music box described hereinafter as an example of preferred embodiment of the method of the invention;

FIG. 5(a) is a planar view showing an example of a musical score card designed for use according to the invention;

FIG. 5 (b) is a planar view indicating the manner in which perforations can be punched in the score card shown in FIG. 5(a) to conform to a selected melody as represented by orthodox musical notation;

FIG. 6 is a simplified view showing the driving power section of a music box embodying the invention;

FIG. 7 is an plan view, with parts cut away, showing the essential construction and arrangement of the motor driven parts of the music box shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view, with parts removed, showing the internal parts of the music box shown in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic elevational view showing the state of the parts of the music box for receiving and operating in accordance with a musical score card inserted thereinto.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, in one aspect thereof, the melody of a desired musical composition is recorded on a musical score card 1, as shown in FIG. 5, by punching corresponding holes 3 therein accordance with a special musical scale on a five-lined staff 2 inscribed on the musical score card 1. The score card 1 thus perforated is placed on a platform 4a constituting a part of the body structure 4 of a music box and caused to move over and along the platform 4a in the longitudinal direction of the score card 1 at a specific speed by a suitable motive means.

Within the body structure 4 and above the platform 4a, there is vertically disposed a plurality of vibratory sound reeds or sound bars 5 alined in a row across the platform 4a in a direction prependicular to the direction of travel of the score card 1. Each of the sound bars 5 (represented by a single bar in FIGS. 1 through 4) is in the form of a cantilever beam fixed at its upper end, the lower vibrating free end terminating at a point slightly above and confronting the score card 1. The sound bars 5 are for producing respectively different musical tones and are adapted to produce successively graduated tones of the musical scale in the order of their alinement, the positions of the sound bars 5 respectively corresponding to the positions of the corresponding notes of the musical scale on a score card 1 traveling therebelow.

Below the platform 4a there is alined a row of identical pin members 7, one of which is disposed directly below each sound bar 5 to operate cooperatively therewith. Each pin member 7 has a spring body including spring coil part 6, one end 8 thereof being fixed, and a pawl tip 9 at the free end thereof. In its normal operating state, each pin member 7 is urged by its spring force to project upwardly through an aperature 10 in the platform 4a so that the pawl tip 9 is higher than the lower tip of the corresponding sound bar 5 on the upstream side threof (with respect to the travel of the musical score card 1).

When a corresponding part of the score card 1 without a perforation is positioned above the pin member 7, the pin member is in a downwardly deflected state whereby, due to elastic reaction, the pawl tip 9 is pressing upwardly against the lower surface of the score card as shown in FIG 1. Then, when a punched hole 3 arrives above the pawl tip 9 as the score card 1 steadily travels, the pawl tip 9 projects upwardly through this hole 3 and engages with the lower free end of the corresponding sound bar 5 as shown in FIG. 2.

Since the score card 1 is steadily traveling downstream (to the left as viewed in FIGS. 1 through 4), the upstream edge of the hole 3 soon contacts the end of the pin member 7 and moves it, together with the free end of the engaged sound bar 5, in the direction of travel, whereby the sound bar is elastically deflected to a position immediately before plucking thereof as shown in FIG. 3. Then, as the end of the pin member 7 and the free end of the sound bar 5 are moved still further downstream, the pawl tip finally disengages from the free end of the sound bar 5 with a plucking action similar to that of a plectrum, whereby the sound bar 5 is caused to vibrate freely and produce its tone corresponding to the note on the fivelined staff 2 of the score card 1 at which the hole 3 has been punched.

All of the other sound bars 5 are plucked in the same manner by their respective pin members 7 whenever corresponding punched holes 3 pass the members 7.

Thus, the present invention, in one aspect thereof, provides a method for automatic playing of a music box whereby, by preparing a musical score card 1 with appropriately punched holes, any melody can be played on a single music box. Furthermore, by using a score card of endless form, continuous playing can be accomplished.

The present invention, in another aspect thereof, contemplates the provision of an automatically playing musical apparatus whereby the above described method of the invention can be practiced.

One example ofa music box embodying the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9. While the moving parts of the music box may be driven by a spring mechanism, in the example here described they are driven by a motor 11 through a power transmision mechanism comprising gears 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d, the motor and gears being housed within the music box body structure 4. The motor 11, through the power transmission mechanism, drives card feed rolls 13 and a pin raising roll 15 which functions additionally as a left and right stop.

Roll 15 frictionally drives in a clockwise direction, as shown in FIG. 9, to help positively urge the spring pins up through the perforations as they appear.

A plurality of spring pins 16 guided by a pin guide plate 14 are disposed parallelly in a row, the direction of which is substantially parallel to the axes of the feed rolls 13 and pin raising roll 15. The spring pins 16 which have pawl tips 9 at their respective upper ends as described hereinbefore and are fixed at their mounting ends to a spring mounting member 17 are depressable in dampened or inoperative positions by a stop device which is actuated by a lever 19 to release the spring pins 16 for operation when a musical score card 1 is inserted into the music box. A spring 21 is provided to act on the lever 19 and normally urge it in a direction such as to lower the stop device 20 into engagement with said spring pins 16.

Above the operating tips of the spring pins 16 and in positions to be plucked respectively thereby, there are disposed a row of vibratory sound bars 5 fixed at their upper ends to a sound bar mounting member 18, which is provided with screws 18: for acoustical effect.

The music box of the above described construction and arrangement according to the invention-operates in the following manner.

A musical score card 1 with a desired melody prepunched on its musical staff as described hereinbefore is inserted into the music box body structure 4 through an insertion aperture and directed toward the upper part of the lever 19, Which is adapted to be thereby depressed. Then, as the card 1 is inserted further into the body structure 4 and between the card feed rolls 13, it is clamped between the rolls 13 and fed at a steady speed between the sound bars 5 and spring pins 16.

The depressing of the lever 19 causes the stop device 20 to be raised, whereby the spring pins 16 are released, and the pawl tips 9 thereof are elastically pressed against the lower surface of the traveling card 1. Thus, as described in detail hereinbefore, various sound bars 5 are plucked by their respective spring pins 16 projected upwardly through holes previously punched in the card in accordance with the desired melody, which is thereby played by the tones produced by the sound bars 5.

A feature of the above described music box is that, since the sound bar mounting member 18 is screw fastened to the body structure by acoustic efiect screws 18a, the sounds produced by the sound bars 5 are radiated with great acoustical effect. Another feature of this example is that, since the up and down movements of the spring pins 16 can be adjusted by adjusting the setting of a dampening or stop device 20, the force with which the sound bars 5 are plucked can be adjusted as desired.

The musical score sheet for use according to the invention will now be described. As shown in FIG. 5 (a), a relatively long rectangular card 1 or tape 1a is prepared from paper or some other suitable material. On one surface of this sheet, a five-lined staff as well as an upper first line, upper second line, etc., lower first line, lower second line, etc., and intermediate space lines between these lines are inscribed in the horizontal direction or the longitudinal direction of the sheet. In addition, vertical lines with suitable spacing corresponding to the speed with which the sheet is to be passed through the automatically playing apparatus are inscribed on the sheet to indicate the musical time.

The spacing of the staff lines and intermediate space lines, of course, conforms to the spacing of the sound producing means in the automatically playing musical instrument of the invention.

Then, on the musical score sheet thus prepared, a desired melody is recorded by punching perforations as indicated in FIG. 5 (b) by means of a suitable punching device.

As described above, the present invention has several advantageous features. One feature is that since the musical score sheet is a direct graphical representation of a musical score, anyone can readily transfer a desired melody on .a music score by punching holes in the recording sheets as indicated in FIG. 5(b) directly on the inscribed staff and thereby cause the melody to be played exactly as shown on the original music score.

Accordingly, it is possible for the user to select freely any desired musical piece and record it on a musical score sheet according to the invention.

- Furthermore, the invention is widely useful for understanding musical scores, for rendering and enjoying musical variations, for practice and training in musical composition, and as a tool for musical education.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to only preferred embodiments of the invention and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purposes of the disclousre, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. An automatically playing musical instrument for playing a musical melody responsive to the passage of a musical score sheet (1) having predetermined perforations therethrough, comprising in combination:

(a) a support with a plurality of generally oppositely disposed vibratory sound bars (5) and spring-biased pins (16) for plucking said bars (5) responsive to travel therebetween of the perforated musical score sheet 1) prepunched with perforations corresponding to the notes of the melody to be played by the sound bars (5) such that the perforations are disposable in alignment with said bars and pins;

(b) means mounting said vibratory sound bars (5) at spaced intervals equal to the spacing of the musical notes of a musical scale, said bars having free standing-plucking ends and being aligned in a row perpendicular to the direction of travel of said score sheet (1);

(c) said spring pins (16) corresponding in number to that of said sound bars (5) and having pawl tip ends aligned just beneath and closely adjacent said sound bars (5) when said score sheet is interposed therebetween, and said pins 16) projectable through said perforations when in alignment therewith;

(d) means supporting said pins (16) in a generally planar aligned position, and means normally urging said pins (16) toward contact with said bars (5), said spring pins (16) being yieldably spaced apart from said bars (5) responsive to passage of the unperforated portions of said musical score sheet therebetween; and

(e) a driving mechanism comprising feed rolls (13) disposed to supportingly drive the musical score sheet (1) into a position between said pawl ends of pins (16) and the adjacently opposed plucking ends of said sound bars (5) in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of said aligned spring pins (16).

2. A musical instrument as defined in claim 1, further including a driveable roll member (15) disposed adjacent to and urged frictionally against said spring pins (16) to help project said pawl tip ends through said predetermined perforations of said perforated musical score sheet when the latter is driveably passed between said bars (5) and pins (16).

3. A musical instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said plurality of spring pins (16) and bars (5) which are required correspond to and are limited in number to only the number of stalf lines and attendant spaces of the scale of the musical score sheets to be played therewith, and wherein the musical score sheet (1) is provided on one face thereof with indicia depicting the usual parallel musical staff lines with spaces therebetween, and said prepunched perforations are so disposed relative to the musical staff lines and spaces to depict and coincide with predetermined musical notes of a musical scale as well as to be in alignment with said opposed bars (5) and pins (16) 4. A musical instrument as defined in claim 1 further comprising a lever (19) pivotally mounted intermediate its ends and having a front portion disposed to be engageable and depressed downwardly by and when the score sheet (1) is inserted into the instrument, and said lever (19) having a back portion removably engageable with and to dampen movement of said spring pins (16), said back part adaptable to move upward out of engagement when the front portion is depressed, and having means to resiliently bias said lever in a normally frontportion-raised and back-portion-lowered spring-pin-engaged condition when no musical score sheet is inserted in said instrument; and said driving mechanism including rotary driving means to impart positive drive to said feed rolls (13) to feed the musical score sheet in an automatic manner.

5. A musical instrument as define din claim 1 in combination with a musical score sheet which further comprises .a long oblong sheet made of a relatively strong material such as heavy paper or a synthetic resin material and bearing on one side thereof spaced apart parallel musical staff lines representing a musical scale and laterally spaced vertical lines indicating musical time; said prepunched perforations being suitable relatively small perforations disposed at predetermined positions with respect to said staff lines and said spaced vertical lines to depict the notes in conformance with a selected melody; said perforations corresponding in size generally to that of the cross-sectional size of the spring pin which is protrudable in relatively close-fitting relation therethrough.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 347,686 8/1886 Carpenter et al. 84-164 X 450,257 4/1891 Schilling 8410l 531,037 12/1894 Hoschke 84l01 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner JOHN F. GONZALES, Assistant Examiner 

